Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale.

PURPOSE: The chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAS) is a reliable and valid instrument to comprehensively assess patients' taste alterations in an easy way. We aimed to translate it and test its psychometric properties among Chinese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHOD: A convenience sample of 227 cancer patients were recruited in a tertiary cancer hospital in Beijing. The Chinese version of the CiTAS (C-CiTAS) was developed via rigorous translation methods. An exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) was used to test its construct validity. Correlations between the C-CiTAS scores and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 scores were calculated for convergent validity. The overall taste alterations scale (OTAS) score was used to test its discriminant validity. Reliabilities were also examined. RESULTS: The majority of patients undergoing chemotherapy experienced minor to mild taste alterations. The current factor analysis results using the ESEM supported the original factor solution of the CiTAS, and no item of the CiTAS was dropped. The C-CiTAS demonstrated good construct validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity. The Cronbach's alphas of the C-CiTAS were 0.900 for the overall scale and from 0.570 to 0.857 for the four subscales. Its test-retest reliability was 0.815 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the CiTAS is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate cancer patients' Chemotherapy-induced taste alterations in China.

Stable isotopes and chemical characteristics of precipitation in Hangzhou and Huzhou, East China.

Atmospheric precipitation is a very important link in the water cycle. The characteristics of major ions (n = 341) and stable isotopes (δ2H, δ18O; n = 157) were analysed in Hangzhou and Huzhou, which are economically prosperous cities in East China. The δ2H and δ18O values of precipitation ranged from - 109.70 to 21.30‰ and from - 14.87 to - 0.95‰, respectively. Compared with the local meteoric water line (LMWL) of China, the slope and intercept of the LMWL were much higher in Hangzhou and Huzhou, which is related to the effects of the humid climate and less secondary evaporation. The δ2H and δ18O values were highest in spring because of the influence of air masses from the northern Asian continent and other nearby sources. In contrast, the air masses from the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean in the summer had the lowest δ2H and δ18O. The dominant ions in precipitation indicate that Ca2+, HCO3-, SO42-, NH4+ and NO3- are the main ions of precipitation in Hangzhou and Huzhou, and the dilution of precipitation leads to lower concentrations of ions in spring and summer, similar to the values found in most Chinese cities. The increase in motor vehicle use resulted in a lower [SO42-]/[NO3-] ratio (1.64) of precipitation, indicating mixed acid rain in Hangzhou and Huzhou (HZS). Based on a combination of the correlation analysis, enrichment factors and source contributions, we determined that SO42- and NO3- were introduced mainly from anthropogenic activities such as coal combustion and vehicle exhaust, accounting for 89% and 99%, respectively. The strong correlation between Cl- and Na+, as well as Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+, indicates that these ions commonly have marine and crustal origins, respectively, and 40% of Mg2+ comes from a marine source.